Valve for player-piano feeders



W. F. COOPER. I VALVE FO'R PLAYER PIANO FEEDERS. APPLICATION FILED DEC.11. 1917.

1,355,941. Patented Oct. 19,1920.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM F. COOPER, OF NORWALK, OHIO.

VALVE FOR PLAYER-PIANO FEEDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

Application filed December 17, 1917. Serial No. 207,437.

useful Improvement in Valves for Player;

Piano Feeders, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, andexact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

The present invention relates to valves for player piano feeders.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a valve for pneumaticfeeders which will be absolutely silent in operation. Additional objectsare to provide a valve which will not be susceptible to leakage due toclimatic conditions, and which will operate with ease and quickness atall suction pressures, tending toward an increase in the efficiency ofthe feeders and a decrease in the power necessary to their operation.

The feeders in a player piano function to supply suction pressure tothepneumatic action, to the air motor, and to all the manual and automaticcontrols in the player piano. These mechanisms are constantly changingin operation and impose a variable suction demand on the feeders,particularly in player pianos not having reservoir bellows or the like.Accordingly, the valves in the feeders must be capable of controllingeffectively and silently a flow of air undergoing large and suddenchanges in volume and pressure.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my improved valve asapplied to the feeders in a motor driven suction pump, but it will beapparent that the valve is also. applicable to pedal operated feeders.In the following specification I have illustrated and described onearticular embodiment of my improved va ve, but I intend that otherembodiments and modifications of the same shall come within the spiritand scope of the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a suction pump showing part -of thecasing broken awayand one of the feeders in cross section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of one of the feeder boardsshowing my improved valve therein and Fig. 3 is a similar sectionshowing the general type of valve heretofore employed.

The pump 1 is substantially square, and has four feeders 52 mountedwithin the pump in quadrangular form. An electric motor 3 supplies powerfor the operation of the feeders which is transmitted thereto throughthe pulley 4, the crank 5, crank block 6 and the flexible fabricconnectors 7, which are attached to blocks 7 secured to the movableleaves of the feeders 2. The feeders 2 are of general construction,comprising the fixed and movable leaves or boards 8 and 9, respectively,which are joined by fabric sides 11. A suction channel 12 communicat ingwith the expression mechanism and con trols of the player, extendsaround on all sides of the pump and is arranged to be exhausted by thefeeders 2. The inlet valves for the feeders are mounted in the fixedboards 8, and afford an intake between the channel 12 and the interiorof the feeder. The exhaust valves are mounted in the m0vable board 9,and afford an outlet between the interior of the feeder and the interiorof the pump casing from whence the air permeates to the exterior throughthe felt strips 13 in the sides of the pump casing.

The valves for these feeders have heretofore been of the generalconstruction illustrated in Fig. 3. The board 15 which correspondseither to one of the feeder boards 8 or 9 of the above description, orto a special panel applied thereto, has valve openings 16-16therethrough. These valve openings are usually contiguously arrangedpar-- allel to the length of the feeder board 15 and are covered on oneside of the feeder board by a long strip of pliable leather 17, which isglued or tacked across its two narrow ends to the board as shown at 18.This strip of leather has a check valve action over the valve openings16-16, the pliancy of the leather strip permitting the flow of air upfrom the openings 16 beneath the two free edges of the strip butpreventing a counter flow of air by sucking taut over the openings 16.

I find that frequently these valves will emit a popping noise when thefeeders are working at a high suction pressure. I have experimented withnumerous types of pneumatic valves and have found that theseobjectionable noises are attributable mainly to the pouching diaphragmaction of the leather or fabric strip 17 over the valve openings 16. Itwill be seen that the strip 17 must necessarily be very pliable tooperate smoothly and quickly, so that there will be no wastefulexpenditure of power in the operation of the feeders. The pliancy of theleather which is so essential to the effective operation of this type ofvalve, results in the detrimental action above referred to. The leatherstrip 17 has a pronounced tendency to flex inwardly into each of thevalve openings 16, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, due to thedifference of pressures acting upon opposite sides of the strip. Valveshaving corrective means to prevent this inward flexure are notproductive of this disagreeable popping noise.

Another detrimental characteristic of this type of valve is the tendencyof the free edges of the leather strip to curl up, due to the aging anddrying of the leather, whereby a portion of the valve opening is exposedor an insufficient area of engagement is had, between the leather stripand the surface of the board, resulting in a leaky valve. This lattercharacteristic is curable to some extent by securing transverse ribs 20to the back of the strip 17 to prevent curling of the same, but theseadd considerably to the inertia of the valve.

To obviate this objectionable curling and pouching of the valve leatherI contemplate stiffening that portion of the valve immediately over thevalve openings without subtracting from the flexibility of the remainingportion of the strip. A particular embodiment of this conception isillustrated in Fig. 2.

The valve openings 22 are concentric with depressions or valve chambers23, formed in the face of the board 24L Small metallic ferrules 25 aredriven down part way into the valve openings 22, the projecting edge ofthe ferrule presenting a sharp clean'valve seat to be engaged by thesmall wooden disks or buttons 26. These buttons are pre vided withleather facings 27, glued thereto, which secure a tight lit with theedges of the ferrules 25, when the buttons are down thereupon. Thebuttons 26 are glued at 28 to the strip 29.' This stripis preferably offelt or some flexible material of very loose texture, so that it will behighly permeable to air. The strip is glued or tacked along itsperimeter to the face of the board 2e, as shown at 30, the air thatissues from beneath the buttons 26 passing directly through the felt.This is the preferred means for supporting the buttons 26, though othermeans may be employed, as for instance, a strip of leather similar tothe strip 17 of Fig. 2 or individual strips to which the buttons 26 aresecured, the air then escaping around the edges of the strip.

The button is preferably made of wood as described, but it will beapparent that I can substitute a stiff piece of leather or 7 othermaterial having the necessary rigidity to resist flexing under highsuction pressures. I find the use of the ferrule 25 ad vantageous insecuring a tight valve closure though it can be dispensed with by havingthe buttons 26 seat on the bottom of the valve chamber 23 directly overthe valve opening 22. V

The advantages resulting from the combination of the relatively stiffvalve member and the relatively pliant strip for supporting and guidingthe valve member will be apparent. The button 26 is not subject to theobjectionable pouching action or the tendency to curl at the edges as isthe leather strip 17 of the prior art. The felt strip 29 supports andguides the valve button 26, but by virtue of its extreme pliancy it doesnot retard the button in its movement. Moreover the felt tends to muffleany slight vibration of the button.

In its broad conception the invention discloses a valve for pneumaticfeeders which will operate quickly and easily and which will not pouchor flex into the valve opening and I intend that the appended claims beconstrued in the light of this disclosure.

I claim: 7

1. In combination, a feeder board, said feeder board having an openingtherethrough, a ferrule in said opening, a strip of flexible materialsecured to said feeder board and a relatively stiff valve member securedto said flexible strip and seated on said ferrule.

2. In combination, a feeder board, said feeder board having a valveopening therethrough, a ferrule in said valve opening. a strip ofpermeable felt secured to said feeder board, and a relatively stiffvalve button securedto said felt strip and seated on said ferrule.

3. In a valve for pneumatic mechanism, a valve opening subjected tosuction, a valve member adapted to cover said opening, and a strip ofpliant fabric for supporting said valve member, said valve member havinga relatively stiff body portion to prevent flexing of the same into saidvalve opening under the influence of said suction.

4. In a valve for pneumatic mechanisms, the combiantion of a valveopening subjected to suction, and a valve member covering said opening,said valve member comprising a non-flexible material adapted to contactdirectly with said valve opening to j prevent flexing of the same intosaid valve opening under the influence of said suction.

5. In a valve for pneumatic feeders, a valve opening subjected tosuction, valve means covering said opening, said valve means comprisinga section of pliant mate- 'rial, and a valve member of rigid,nonflexible material adapted to contact directly with said valve openingto prevent flexing of said valve means into said valve opening 10 underthe influence of said suction.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my7name this 1st day ofDecember, A. D. 191

WILLIAM F. COOPER.

